


Spirits of Lost Love

by Greensleeves



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: I think I hurt my heart writing this, I'm Sorry, I'm so sorry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-22
Packaged: 2018-05-07 09:20:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5451524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greensleeves/pseuds/Greensleeves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blitzen and Hearthstone parted ways after Ragnorak. Hearth went back to Alfheim to teach magic while Blitz stayed in Boston to run his store. Magnus carries news to Blitz of his old love many years after the two went their separate ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Rick Riordan owns the Magnus Chase series. The song lyrics used in this fic are from "Scarborough Fair" by Nox Arcana. The only part I changed about the lyrics are the pronouns. (I recommend not listening to the song until the fic is completed. It will be better that way.)

_Are you going to Scarborough Fair?_

_Yesterday holds memories in time_

_Remember me to the one who lives there_

_He once was a true love of mine_

***

 

It was a quiet spring morning in Boston and _Blitzen’s Best_ was doing business as was usual for a Friday morning. A few customers roamed the shop, browsing Blitz’s own designs. A young woman laid a gorgeous teal-blue pleated skirt that doubled as a parachute on the counter before Blitz.

He applauded her decision—it complemented her skin tone beautifully. They exchanged pleasantries while he completed her transaction, and she left the store.

Blitz didn’t even notice the disheveled einherji who took her spot until he spoke.

“Hello, Blitzen.”

Blitz looked up. The person before him had tangled blond hair and appeared to be around sixteen years old. Blitz knew for a fact that he was much older than that.

“Hello, Magnus.”

Magnus shifted uncomfortably. “How’s business going?”

“I’m doing as well as ever. What can I do you for today?”

Magnus’s eyes shifted to glance at the other people in the store. He lowered his voice, “Look—this isn’t a social call. I need to speak to you. In private.”

Blitz stared at Magnus, disconcerted. The boy wasn’t ever this serious.

“Can it wait ‘til noon?”

“No.”

Magnus didn’t explain further, and Blitzen didn’t ask.

“Alright, then. Go on upstairs; I’ll see what I can do.”

The einherji nodded at him before heading to the back of the store and to the apartment above.

Blitz, meanwhile, turned over the sign in the window to “Closed.” He helped the remaining customer with their purchases, all the while unsettled by Magnus’s behavior. What did Magnus want to discuss with him?

Unless . . .

No, it couldn’t be.

It _mustn’t_ be.

When the last shopper left with a polite “Have a nice day!” Blitz locked up the store.

His heart filled with dread as he went upstairs. For once, Blitz did not want to speak to Magnus. The dwarf was sure he knew why he’d come, and he didn’t want his fears confirmed.

Magnus was out on the balcony when Blitzen entered the apartment. He came back inside, closing the curtains for Blitz’s sake. He took a seat in an arm chair and gestured for Blitz to sit down as well.

Blitzen sank into the couch and folded his hands in his lap.

Magnus spoke quickly as if he were saying something harsh or unkind.  “You need to come with me to Alfheim.”

The dwarf’s heart went cold. “N-no—it can’t be—Hearth?”

Magnus nodded his head solemnly. “He made me promise to bring you back to him.”

Blitz dropped his gaze. His assumptions had been correct.

“When do we leave?” he murmured, not looking up.

“As soon we’ve gathered provisions, we’ll go.”

Blitz got up reluctantly. “I’ll get my anti-sun gear. Feel free to raid the apartment for whatever else you think we’ll need.”

Blitz couldn’t believe what was happening.

After all this time, he was going to Alfheim.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding to the list of things I do not own is the film The Princess Bride.

_Tell him to think back upon younger days_

_Yesterday holds memories in time_

_And seek yonder crossroads where we parted ways_

_Then he’ll be a true love of mine_

***

 

Magnus and Blitz jumped from Midgard to Alfheim via the _Make Way for Ducklings_ statue after they had gathered provisions for the journey and the necessary sun-protection supplies for Blitz. They’d been traveling through Alfheim for a few hours now, and Blitz had begun to tire. He wasn’t as fit as he used to be, and the path they were following was, unfortunately, sparsely shaded. The amount of sunlight he was being exposed to was most certainly hindering his energy levels despite his protective measures.

“Why don’t we stop for a rest?” Magnus suggested, eyeing Blitz’s ever-slowing pace.

Blitzen took the opportunity to rest with a grateful heart. It couldn’t have been much later than three o’clock Midgard time, but when you’re a dwarf with sunlight issues, you tire quickly.

They found a tree that provided ample shade, and Blitz stretched out beneath it. It wasn’t long before he dozed off and began to dream. . . .

_Blitz surveyed the few ducks on the water that had decided to brave the cold Boston winter. He was waiting for Hearthstone to come back from a nearby homeless shelter. Blitz had circulated the park, asking if anyone had seen a young teen by the name of Magnus Chase._

_Hearth joined him on the bridge a few minutes later._

Did you find out anything? _Hearth signed._

No. You?

No.

_Hearth rubbed his arms to keep from shivering. The elf did not fare well in such cold temperatures._

I have something for you, _Blitz signed before reaching into an inner coat pocket. He pulled out a red and white striped scarf and handed it to Hearthstone._ You always seem cold.

_Hearth put the scarf on immediately, and then hugged Blitz, practically lifting him off the ground because of their height difference._

_He released Blitz from his embrace and signed:_ Thank you, friend.

_The Boston Public Garden swirled around Blitz, transforming into the island that held Fenris Wolf._

_Magnus was trying to fight the Wolf with an uncooperative sword. Blitz hastily fashioned a noose out of the magical rope Andskoti and charged._

_But he was too slow. Much too slow._

_Fenris dodged Sam’s ax and slashed Blitzen across the throat. He fell face-first to the ground._

_Blitz temporarily blacked out. When he regained his senses he couldn’t figure out where he was. He could hear a battle raging around him. A lion roared. The Wolf snarled._

_What was going on?_

_Blitz forced himself to roll onto his back. A figure was rushing toward him._

_Hearthstone knelt at his side and frantically placed a hand on Blitz’s neck. Relief washed across his face._

_The elf sat back and signed:_ You’re going to be alright, my love.

_Blitzen closed his eyes, reopening them to find himself back in his London apartment with Hearthstone._

_He and Hearth are snuggled up on the couch. They were watching_ The Princess Bride. ( _Magnus had insisted they see the film, saying it was “classic.”)_

 _Blitz paused the movie to sign:_ You’d make a great Dread Pirate Roberts.

Would that make you Buttercup? _Hearth responded, nonplussed._

_Blitz un-paused the movie._

_They finished_ The Princess Bride _with only a couple more interruptions. The credits rolled, but the two didn’t make to move from the couch. Blitz was beginning to drift off in Hearth’s arms. He could feel the rise and fall of the elf’s chest and the sound of his breath in his ear._

 _He traced out a message on Hearthstone’s arm before giving into the embrace of sleep:_ As you wish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who haven't seen The Princess Bride, Buttercup is the princess, and "As you wish" translates to "I love you." (Go watch the movie; it's fabulous.)  
> I hope you enjoyed that bit of fluff. Thank you for reading! ^-^


	3. Chapter 3

_Tell him to follow the path to the shire_

_Yesterday holds memories in time_

_For there he'll find his heart's true desire_

_Then he'll be a true love of mine_

***

 

Blitz woke with a start.

“Hearth—“ he caught himself.

For a moment, he had thought he was back at the apartment with Hearthstone.

But he wasn’t.

He was under a tree. In Alfheim. With Magnus.

Said einherji looked over at him from where he was lounging, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Are you alright, Blitz?” he asked.

“Yeah. Just—just had an off-putting dream, that’s all.”

Magnus didn’t take his eyes off of Blitz. “It’s because you’re here, isn’t it? In Alfheim, I mean. It’s bringing back memories.”

Blitz stood up and smoothed the wrinkles out of his clothes before grabbing his pack. Magnus was right. Being here . . . Blitz wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

He hefted the pack onto his back.

“Let’s keep going, shall we?”

Magnus nodded his head and got up. He led the way down a concealed path that led into the forest.

They walked in silence for a while, the only sound being that made by the creatures of the forest and their own footfalls.

Magnus decided to break the serenity.

“What ever happened between you and Hearth? You seemed so . . . happy together back in Midgard.”

Blitzen sighed. Naturally Magnus would ask. He could never hold back his curiosity for long.

“After Ragnorak, Odin ordered him back here to Alfheim to teach magic. You know that, of course.”

“Yeah.”

“Hearth . . . well, he didn’t want to. He wanted to stay in Boston. Who could blame him? To go back somewhere where he was disgraced for being deaf and dumb, cast out by his own family. . . .

“We argued. I told him that surely he should go and teach. Obviously because Odin ordered him to, but also because his knowledge was necessary to giving the light elves any sort of future. Hearth was upset at me for taking that point of view. He stormed out of the apartment and didn’t come back until nightfall. The next day he left with nothing more than a brusque ‘goodbye.’”

“ _That’s_ the reason you two never saw each other all these years?” Magnus exclaimed incredulously.

Blitz shook his head. “No, there’s more. We were both so busy with our own lives. I had my clothing store, and Hearth was teaching. Seeing as he was the only one who knew magic, it’s not like he could just up and leave for a visit to Midgard.” The dwarf shrugged. “We just never crossed paths again.”

Magnus ducked under a low tree branch then glanced at Blitzen. “That still seems like a rather half-assed reason—“

 _“Don’t you think I agree?”_ Blitzen snapped at him. “Not a _day_ has gone by without me thinking of him! Hearth couldn’t leave Alfheim because he had to teach so I would’ve had to have come _here_! But for a dwarf to live in Alfheim— _don’t you understand?_ I would’ve been a prisoner here!” He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. “It would never have worked between us.”

Magnus dropped his head, the corners of his mouth turned down slightly. “Of course. I shouldn’t have pried.”

Their conversation played over in Blitz’s mind as they returned to their quiet march.

 _I should have come to Alfheim,_ Blitz thought. _I shouldn’t have let him leave. Not like that, anyway._

_I should have followed my heart._


	4. Chapter 4

_Tell him to come to the old willow tree_

_Yesterday holds memories in time_

_Where spirits of lost love yet whisper to thee_

_Thou art still a true love of mine_

***

 

Magnus and Blitz left the forest and entered a clearing. Straight ahead was a sheer granite cliff face. A large willow tree grew at the base, its long branches sweeping across the grass and hanging over a gurgling stream.

The einherji turned to Blitzen. “You must go the rest of the way yourself.”

Blitz cocked an eyebrow. “Explain . . . ?”

“Go under the willow tree”—he gestured to the tree in front of the cliff—“and you’ll be shown the way into Hearth’s glen.”

“Tell me why he picked such an out-of-the-way place again?”

Magnus shrugged. “He didn’t want just anyone dropping by.”

“Typical.”

Blitz strode across the clearing ad parted the waterfall branches of the willow. He shot a hesitant glance back at Magnus.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Blitz nodded and stepped under the tree. He let the branches fall behind him and was instantly thrown into an unnatural darkness. The soft susurration of leaves met his ears though he could detect no breeze.

He felt around for the trunk of the tree. As he stood there trying to come up with a plan, whispering met his ears.

_Remember him._

_Remember your love._

A memory flashed before Blitz’s eyes: Hearthstone sitting with him the morning of the making. Hearth kissing his cheek before casting the rune to make him feel rested and focused even though it drained Hearth.

The voices kept speaking, calling forth memories with each utterance.

_You were in love with him the moment you found him in Nidavellir._

Blitz stumbling across an extremely handsome light elf on the verge of death.

_And he loved you too._

Hearth studying Blitz when he thought the dwarf wasn’t looking.

_You spent two years watching over the boy, Magnus Chase, together._

Hearth and Blitz camping out in the Boston Public Gardens.

 _You lived together in Midgard—_ the two of them cooking at his apartment— _you fought together—_ he and Hearth back-to-back fighting giants at Ragnorak— _and you were to live out the rest of your lives together—_ Blitz reaching up to place a flower crown on top of Hearthstone’s head, a gold ring glimmering on his left hand. 

Blitzen’s breath hitched. What he’d just seen was no memory.

The wind began to rise, and he could feel it now. The disconnected voices rose to be heard above the noise of the wind and the shaking tree.

_Yes, son of Freya._

_You could’ve had a future with Hearthstone._

Blitz shook his head. “Show me no more.”

If the voices would have had faces, Blitz was sure they would have sneered at him.

_He didn’t want to leave Midgard._

Hearth telling him just that.

_He wanted to stay with you._

The tree branches whipped around Blitz in the wind. He clung onto the willow’s trunk.

_But you rebuffed him._

_And then you let him go._

Hearth stalking out of the apartment.

_He never forgot you._

Hearth clutching an old candy-cane striped scarf while staring out a floor-to-ceiling window that looked out over what Blitzen assumed to be Alfheim.

_And you never forgot him._

Blitz needed no visual aid for that fact. Hearth had been his everything.

_Remember him, Blitzen, son of Freya!_

The voices were all but yelling now.

_Remember your love!_

Blitz fell to his knees. His hat was torn away from him, and Blitz’s face was suddenly exposed to the violent wind. He reached up to protect his eyes from flying debris to find tears dampening his cheeks.

This seemed to please the voices. Perhaps they could see him after all. 

_Speak out loud what you seek, and you shall be shown the way._

Blitz took a fortifying breath. “I seek Hearthstone, keeper of magic.”

Instantly, the wind calmed. There were no more disconnected voices. A light filtered through the branches in front of Blitz.

He picked himself up off the ground, grabbed his hat that had come to rest next to him, and went toward the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not surprisingly, this chapter was the most painful to write.  
> I'm sorry.  
> 


	5. Chapter 5

_Tell him to gather three lilies of white_

_Yesterday holds memories in time_

_To place at my headstone, beneath the moon's light_

_Then he'll be a true love of mine_

***

 

Blitz parted the branches and stepped into a hidden glade. The glen must not only have been hidden, but enchanted as well, as soft moonlight fell onto the landscape instead of the bright sunshine of Alfheim. Trees in full bloom stood guard around the glade’s perimeter. A creek fed into a small pond at the far end. Colorful bunches of zinnias, verbenas, and other flowers blossomed in patches here and there.

The air was warm and carried the sweet fragrance of magnolia and wisteria blossoms. Blitzen shed his outer layers of protective clothing and set them down by the entrance to the glen. He picked three white lilies, and then knelt in front of the cairn that was nestled beneath a blooming white wisteria tree. He placed the lilies at the base of the grave marker.

“I’m sorry, Hearthstone,” he whispered. “I’m sorry for what happened between us. I shouldn’t have—I should’ve visited— _I’m_ _so sorry_.

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you, Hearth. It wasn’t ever the same without you back in Midgard. I miss the old days of living in Boston with you, worrying about whether or not we’d survive Ragnorak.” Blitz laughed sadly. “Neither us really thought we would make it. But somehow we scraped by, and you went on to become the greatest sorcerer Alfheim has ever seen. All of us were— _are_ —so proud of you.”

Blitz stayed there in the enchanted glade talking to Hearth until the stars began to disappear from the sky. He told Hearth an account of all that had passed while they were apart. He poured his heart out to Hearthstone as he’d never done in the past, though it was much like talking to Hearthstone when he was alive; Blitz knew Hearth was listening to his every word, but he did not interrupt.

When dawn began to break, Blitz concluded his conversation with Hearth.

“I need to go now.”

Blitzen stood up to find a strange heaviness in his pocket. He pulled out a small stone carved with the rune _perthro._ Blitz looked back at the cairn.

“I hear you, my love. I won’t forget.”

He then turned away from the grave; put his hat, coat, and gloves back on; and exited the glen without looking back. It was time to go home.

Blitz wondered if he’d ever come to love someone again as much as he’d loved Hearth. He dismissed the thought forthwith. No one could ever take Hearthstone’s place.

_For ever he'll be the one true love of mine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The symbolism in this chapter, ohh my gosh. I had a lot of fun with that.  
> Well, I hope you liked the fic! It was quite enjoyable to write, despite the amount the amount of angst I put myself through. Please leave me a comment; I'd love to hear what you thought of it!

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was born from me being awake at five a.m. three nights in a row with "Scarborough Fair" stuck in my head, which probably accounts for how much angst there is. Can't really apologize for that now, can I?  
> But yeah, thank you for reading! Please leave me a comment; any feedback is welcome.


End file.
